Tuesday, November 11, 2008

After reading Governor Schwarzenegger's (dang..I just had to google that for the spelling!) comment about prop 8 yesterday, I felt so discouraged!! After all that time and effort put into protecting traditional marriage, I have a feeling it's only a matter of time before gay marriage is legal. If prop 8 is overturned that tells me our state is not governed by the voice of the people. A very frightening realization with even more frightening repercussions. Honestly, it's been a struggle to keep my spirits up and to have hope in the face of such hatred and contention. There are times when the weight of it feels nearly suffocating. And then this morning I listened to a talk by Elder Uchtdorf. I was reminded of the power and beauty of hope. What a glorious gift!! I couldn't possible talk about hope as eloquently and thoroughly as he did so I won't even try. Suffice it to say that hope allows us to experience great joy even in the face of tribulation. It strengthens our faith and increases our charity. I have never doubted the final outcome of this battle, but this morning I was reminded that even when we experience small defeats, all things work together for our good. John 14:27. Peace..peace. Now I can go on with my day.

Friday, November 7, 2008

I don't even know where to start. I'm frustrated and sickened by the twisted facts and hate I see as many "no on 8" supporters attack the mormon religion. I understand the anger and despair that comes when your views are not supported by the popular vote. And the need to blame. But seriously people. Where are you getting your facts? I am proud for the right to vote on what I see as a MORAL issue and to donate MY money to support that issue. I've never felt so torn by an election and such sorrow for the folks who lost. Let me clarify that. I'm not sorry for them because of their views. I realize everyone thinks they are doing what's right. Rather I feel sorrow at their grief, pain, and anger. That said, I will campaign, donate, and vote according to my conscience and for that I do not apologize. Here are a few facts a friend sent me that might put things into perspective.

1. Mormons make up less than 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.

2. Mormon voters were less than 5% of the yes vote. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6% of the Yes vote and 2.4% of the total Proposition 8 vote.

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.

4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.

5. Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.

6. The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8. (I will add San Bernadino, Riverside, San Diego and Orange County too- 3/4 of the counties)

7. African Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.

8. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).

9. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims – all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.

10. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or her self. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.

11. The Church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process, to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that Churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The Church has always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.

12. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support, and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair, and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars, and worse. The fact is, we simply did what Americans do – we spoke up, we campaigned, and we voted.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

This morning Abbey had her last soccer game for the season. I can't say she really caught the vision of competitive sports this year. Most of her time on the field was spent either picking flowers, running the wrong way, or begging to sit out so she could pound down as many oranges slices as possible. But we had fun watching and cheering, and she can't wait for next season. So all in all, it was a success. Way to go Abbey!!

That would be Abbey picking flowers while the other team just scored a goal.

Ok I'll just start this with...yes, yes, I want my kids to be socially backward. Thank you for asking. And yes, I'm well aware I'll be tremendously busy, and finally yes, I also think I'm a little bit (maybe a lot) crazy to be doing this (so you can just stop thinking it yourself). That said, it's been a lovely week. Really. I took them out on Monday last week and aside from the initial panic attack and screaming thoughts of "Holy Crap!!! I've just ruined their future!!", we're all doing great. I'm enjoying my kids much more. The morning drill sargeant routine isn't happening (come on kids!! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!!!) They're not coming home exhausted, hungry, and full of attitude. And teaching them has actually been really, really fun. So, well...wish me luck.